TYS > DUB: Look to the Stars

I’ve been in Dublin for three days now after what felt like an endless travel day. Most of the people in my program flew directly to Dublin. Not me though–I took three separate flights, each with a hefty layover in between. In a way, this travel day scared me. I’d known about it for months …

Labas, Lietuva!

The Adventure Begins! Exploring the Baltic Captial My first thought when I stepped out of the airport in Vilnius, Lithuania, was, “It’s cold.” Indeed, no amount of internet research and mental pep talks could have sufficiently prepared me for the frigid weather that greeted me. After the shock of the weather had left my system, …

Unexpected Parallels: Exploring the Philippines and Accra as a Tourist

It has been a few crazy months since I have been all over the world. As a passionate traveler, I’ve had the privilege of exploring various corners of the world, each with its own unique charm. Recently, I embarked on a journey that led me to reminisce about my home of the Philippines destinations: Accra, …

Treasured memories: my time on the UK DiscoverIES field trips

A few weeks before I left for my semester in London, I was sent the UK DiscoverIES field trip sign up. For IES London, the field trips were to Bath and Stonehenge, Canterbury and Dover, Windsor, Edinburgh, and Oxford. At first, I was hesitant to go on many of them because I knew that there …

Does traveling with your parents really conquer homesickness? 

An overarching struggle that many students seem to face while studying abroad is homesickness. This could be triggered from various things such as illness, seeing a dog that reminds you of your dog, something going wrong while traveling, and the list goes on.  One thing that I was really nervous about upon entering my abroad …

Life in Japan, so far

Inuyama, orientation week, dorm or homestay?, & Kanazawa こんにちは!Since you last heard from me, I’d made it into Nagoya. IES orientation week went great; I was able to meet everyone in the program, do some sightseeing, and had the incredible privilege of a nice hotel room to myself for the duration of orientation. Inuyama. On …

Speedrunning Tokyo

36 hours in Tokyo & how we spent it At the end of September, my friend and I set off for a weekend in Tokyo. To get there, I booked us overnight bus seats. It’s a cheaper, though lengthier and less scenic, convenient alternative to taking the Shinkansen (bullet train). We boarded at 11PM on …

Why go?

Hello again! I’m back from Jordan and embarking on another off-campus study adventure, this time (a little) closer to home. I’ve been in Oregon for three weeks now, and so far it’s been really great. In a few pictures, here’s what’s been going on: Cabin Life I live in Cabin 10! I have two awesome …

An insight into the Health Studies Program!

So what is the health studies program?  As I’ve mentioned many times, I studied abroad with IES, specifically participating in their health studies program. I knew that if I got the chance to study abroad, then it would be somewhere in South America. I also wanted to go on a program that felt unique and …

Why I Packed My Hiking Boots: Discovering the Heartbeat of Britain

Bueñas Días from Barcelona! I’ve had a fantastic week travelling Spain with Megan Barta, a fellow Hope study-abroader wrapping up her semester in Barcelona. We shared many memorable experiences as we explored the stunning Andalusia region of southern Spain during Semana Santa. From exploring the Sacromonte district in Granada, to visiting La Mezquita in Córdaba, …